A Coming Storm
by EvolvingWriter
Summary: A story of young Lily Evans, James Potter, and their close friends. please r


-1

**A Coming Storm**

Heavy rain clouds were blanketing the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With the first day of Spring upon them, the students were taking full advantage of the warm weather. They were scattered across the grounds, enjoying the freeness of their Saturday. A group of Hufflepuffs were seated by the lake, talking and laughing together. Three Slytherin boys stood near by with their heads together, obviously, planning something cruel to do to the sweet natured Hufflepuff's. Closer to the castle, a red haired, gangly boy with second hand robes was fiddling with what muggle's called a rubber ducky. On the far end of the grounds sat a young, sixth year girl with long brown hair and piercing green eyes. Lily Evans was sitting against an old tree trunk, dressed in a black skirt, white button up shirt, and black robes. Once a month, she would sit against the very same tree trunk and wait. Whispers of her strange behavior had floated around the school, after several months, however, the whispers faded away and the students expected her to be there.

The loud snapping of the Womping Willow tree drew her attention away from the twelve inch essay that she was having to write for Divination. The boys should be coming back soon, she thought to herself, as she looked up into the darkening sky. She began packing up her school work, fearing that at any moment the rain would start to fall, ruining the work that she had accomplished. She would finish her essay back in the coziness of the common room. Just as she packed her last book into her bag, the young willow tree went completely still. Just as a light mist began to fall, a stag, followed by a big, black dog, and, barely visible, a tiny rat crawled out of a small hole at the base of the tree. In the time that it took Lily to stand to her feet, the three animals had turned into three young men. The boy, who had only seconds before been a stag, walked straight up to Lily, kissing her softly on the cheek. "Hello, Love." The handsome, unruly haired sixth year said, as he took her hand in his, smiling. James Potter had made the entire school talk the previous year when he had asked Lily Evans, a muggle born, to be his girlfriend. Since then they had been the perfect couple, much to the demise of many of the other students.

"Sorry, we kept you, Lilly," the boy, who had only seconds earlier been a dog, said. "Remus, was quite playful this visit." Pulling up the sleeve of his shirt, he revealed a deep gash on his right forearm. Releasing James's hand, with a concerned expression on her face, she began to examine Sirius's arm.

"Sirius, this is deep. You need to go straight up to the hospital wing and see Madam Pomfrey," Lilly exclaimed.

"I'll be fine. No buts," Sirius added, as Lily attempted to argue with him. "Plus we can't risk Madam Promfrey asking too many questions, now can we? James, you know a spell that can fix this?"

James took Sirius's arm in his hands and pretend to examine the cut.

"Tricky, tricky, cuts pretty deep. But if I recall correctly, I saw a spell that would heal you right up in the library the other day."

"James, no! If you don't do the spell correctly you could make the wound worse. It's too dangerous," scolded Lilly.

"No worries then, I can just go see Madam Pomfrey. A spell gone wrong, you see," Sirius added, once he saw the puzzled expression on his friends faces.

"And get James and Gryffindor in trouble." Turning to the third plump boy, Lily asked, "Peter, can't you talk them out of this?"

Peter quickly shrugged his shoulders and began feverishly playing with the sleeve of his shirt. Grabbing Lily's book bag, James retook Lily's hand saying, "Let's get out of this weather, before we all get soaked." With James and Lily leading the way, they began to trek up the many steps to the old, stone school, while the three boys told Lily about their visit to their 'furry little friend.'

They had barely made it through the tall pine doors of the Entrance Hall, when the heavens opened up with a loud roar of pouring ran. The Entrance Hall was filled with students who had their plans spoiled by the bad weather. On either side of the pine doors, were two large hour glasses; each one representing one of the four houses. Sirius, James, Peter, and Lily squeezed their way through the crowded room, reaching the bottom of the steps.

"Sirius, are you positive that you won't go see Madam Pomfrey," Lily asked.

"No, Lily. See," he pointed to his arm. "It's not even bleeding anymore. No, James will fix me right up." Slapping James on the back, he began to climb the stairs up to the library, with Peter trailing close behind. Turning to face Lily, James asked, "Will you come up to the library with us?" He added in a hushed tone, "Then maybe we could snuggle up in front of the fireplace together in the common room?"

Smiling, Lily replied, "I'll go up to the library, and then we'll see about the fireplace," she said with a mischievous smile. Jogging up the stairs, she caught up with Peter and Sirius, closely followed by James.

Twenty minutes later the teens arrived outside the library, having been detoured by the moving staircases. Entering through the heavy, oak door of the library, they silenced their conversation. The librarian, Irma Pince, was a mean old witch with strict rules; conversations over a whisper would have you thrown out. Quickly, passing Irma Pince's desk, they dodged the books flying about the room as they made their way to the back of the room. Turning a corner, Sirius, bumped into a greasy haired, pale boy.

"Fancy seeing you here, Snape. Made time to come out of your dungeon, aye?" Sirius mocked.

"Yeah, Snappie, is the sun light too much for you?" James added, laughing at his own joke with Sirius and Peter.

"What are you laughing at," Snape snapped at Peter. "Not so smug when your friends aren't around, are you?"

"Shut up, Sniffles," Sirius countered, shoving Snape into a book shelf.

"Sirius," Lily said, urgently.

"I'm not hurting him, just teaching him his place." Lily's normal gentle expression turned to anger at Sirius's words.

"Looks as though someone has already shown you your place," Snape snarled, grabbing hold of Sirius's right forearm and squeezing, making Sirius jump back in pain.

"That's it," James said, pulling his wand out of his pocket and pointing it directly at Snape's throat, Sirius did the same.

"James, please," Lily pleaded. "It's not worth it."

Glancing over his shoulder, James saw the pain in her eyes. Nodding at Sirius, they lowered their wands and stepped back allowing Snape to pass them. Stopping in front of Lily, Snape said, "Good catch in potions yesterday. You deserved the extra points that Professor Slughorn gave you."

"Thank you, Severus," Lily replied, with a smile on her face. Lily and Snape had been battling for first in potions all year long. Even though they were opposing competitors, they always congratulated the other on their accomplishments. Looking back at James with malcontent in his eyes, Snape said to Lily, "Such a pretty smile." Reaching up he brushed the back side of his hand against Lily's cheek. A mere second lapsed between the moment Snape's hand touched Lily's skin to the moment that both James and Sirius's wands were back at his neck.

"James, please," Lily repeated, in a hushed tone, not wanting to attract the attention of the Madam Pince. Placing a hand on James's wand arm, Lily pleaded, "Please." If James had not been so in-love with Lily and did not care deeply how she felt, he would have cursed Snape on the spot, without caring about the repercussions. Instead he gave Snape a jab with his wand, before slowly lowering his wand.

"Don't you ever touch her again."

A sinister smile crossed Snape's face. "Whatever you say, Potter. Oh and Sirius," Snape said, as he slowly backed away from them. "Next time maybe you can teach your 'furry friend' who's boss, hmm?" The teens stood in a shocked silence, as they watched him walk away.

"The nerve of him," Sirius blurted out, once Snape had disappeared out of the library, obviously rattled by Snape's final comment.

"You shouldn't have done it," Lily stated, angrily.

"Shouldn't have done it," James questioned. "He was flirting with you right in front of my face."

"And you gave him exactly what he wanted. Congratulations."

A look of defeat spread over James's face as he realized what she had said was true. Attempting to redeem himself, James said, "Doesn't matter. He's fancied you for years; about time he realized that you're taken."

The anger that had filled Lily's face, turned to sadness as she said, "He isn't as bad as you make him out to be; just lonely and seeking acceptance." James and Sirius looked at each other and began to laugh. Lily continued, through the interruption, "I wish you would give him a chance."

"Mark my words, Lily, that boy is evil," Sirius stated, matter a factly as he walked over to a bookshelf and pulled one of the many books down from its resting place. "Wouldn't put it past him to be a Death Eater one day," he added, offhandedly.

"Oh, honestly! He's just a little lost. James, tell him."

"Sorry, Love, I'm on Sirius' side this time." Kissing her on the forehead, he joined his friend in flipping through one of the many library books. Realizing that she was fighting a losing battle, Lily pulled down one overly dusty, red text book and began to read the first page. Ten minutes later, Lily was replacing her first book with another when she accidentally brushed against Sirius's arm, making him recoil in pain.

"Sirius, your arm…"

His arm was once again bleeding. Sirius shrugged, "Snape, popped it back open when he grabbed me. Still think he is just a 'lost boy,'" Sirius questioned.

Deciding it was best for her to ignore his question, Lily began to look through the book she had in her hands. The teenagers searched through many books, some of which had such dangerous spells in them that they were blotted out by powerful spells. Many of the books were old, dusty, and chained to the oak shelves by heavy iron chains to insure that students could not take them out of the library. Peter who had been cowering in the corner, during the confrontation with Snape, crawled, unnoticed, to where the others were and slowly began to flip through the pages of a black covered book. Half an hour into their search, Sirius looked up from the book in his hands.

"How is it that you can not remember which book it was that you saw this spell in?"

"Well," James started. "I know that I saw it somewhere in this area, I just can't remember exactly where," he finished.

"Lovely," Sirius said, full of sarcasm.

After searching the books in three aisles for over an hour, Lily had finally found the spell to heal Sirius's wound in a tiny red book that had been crammed behind two larger books; Lily suggested that it was probably James who had crammed it there. At James' second attempt he was able to heal Sirius's arm.

The night found them all gathered around the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, stomachs full from their dinner in the Great Hall. The boys had hoped to make another visit to see Remus, their "furry friend," but the storm had only intensified as the day had continued. Books scattered about the floor, Sirius was making a go at the pile of homework that he had been ignoring all week. Lily, having finished her essay before dinner, was curled up on the sofa with a very happy James. Peter sat in an overstuffed chair, pretending to read, "Hogwarts: A History." Sirius soon gave up on his homework and joined the other three in talk of their summer plans. When they finally called it a night, well after midnight, the storm was still raging strong outside; a foreshadowing of what the years to come would be like for them.

Many years later and many miles away from the safety of Hogwarts, in a small town of Godric's Hollow, the wind was sending leaves flying across the yard of a two story, brick house. The Potter family was finishing their dinner; James and Lily were now married and the proud parents of a one year old boy named Harry. Inside the quant, little blue themed kitchen, Lily fed her son the last few spoonfuls of his mashed potato's. Standing from his seat, next to Lily, at the dinner table, James walked over to the window above the sink and peered out, nervously.

"James," Lily said, hoarsely.

Turning from the window, James gave his wife a reassuring smile. "All clear, nothing but the wind out there tonight."

Dumbledore had come to them days earlier and warned them that the Dark Lord was planning to attack them and had immediately placed the family into hiding. Peter Pettigrew had been selected to be the Potter's Secret Keeper; even still James was on nerve. The young family continued about their evening rituals, as they always did, yet there was a hint of urgency and precaution about their steps. Lily having finished washing the dishes, placed the final plate from the nights dinner into the cupboard and then turned to her son, who was sitting in his high chair, happily playing with a toy train of the Hogwarts Express.

"Are we ready for a bath, Love," Lily asked, as she gently picked up the toddler. Harry smiled genuinely up into the green eyes of his mother; enclosing his arms around her neck, young Harry squeezed, giving his mother a big hug.

"I love you," Lily told her son, as she climbed the steps to the second level of the house, with the toddler safely in her arms.

Across the street from the Potter's back door, a short, plump man was hiding behind a bush, shaking profusely. The man seemed to be trying to decide if he wanted to stare at the brick home of the Potter's or at the overcast sky. Directly behind him, standing inside the shadows of trees, was a tall, once handsome man in black robes; beside him stood a crocked nosed, greasy haired man.

"By the end of tonight, Severus, I will be the most indestructible wizard in the world," Lord Voldermort proclaimed, in a confidant, strong voice. "After tonight, I will be the most powerful wizard that has ever lived or will ever live." His eyes were locked on a brightly lit window on the second story of the house. Inside that window, Lily Potter was giving her son a final bath. Transfixed, Voldermort seemed to lose sense of all that was going on around him. All that mattered was what was in that room.

The shifting of weight of his partner attracted Voldermort's attention. Turning his eyes from the lit window, he looked at the stone white face of Severus Snape.

"What is it, Severus? I can sense your uneasiness," Voldermort said, coolly.

"What of Lily Potter, my Lord," Snape replied, obediently.

"She will not be hard, as you requested."

"Thank you, my Lord."

The Dark Lord did not seem to have heard Snape's reply, nor the relief in his voice, for he had turned his gaze back upon the window. Voldermort breathed the stale summer's nights air in through his nostrils; lifting his head, he closed his eyes savoring every moment. The stout man who was hiding in the bushes, only a few feet from the Dark Lord, glanced upward into the sky once more. Quickly making his way back to where the other two men were standing, he bowed lowly to Lord Voldermort. "It is time, Master. I have seen the sign," he whispered.

"Very good, Wormtail," Voldermort said, opening his eyes. With a faint smile on his face, Voldermort pulled the hood of his dark robes over his head. The one called Wormtail jumped as a long, scaly snake slithered past him and curled around Voldermort's legs.

"Wait here," Voldermort commanded. "Nagini and I will go in alone." Looking down at the snake, Voldermort spoke in the strange tongue of Parsel Mouth. Stepping out of the shadow's Voldermort, followed by the snake, Nagini, slowly made his way across the street to the Potter's house. As Voldermort walked, the street lamps in front of the Potter's house went suddenly dark, even the clouds moved in front of the moon to shun its light. Voldermort pulled his wand from the inside of his cloke as he neared the Potter's back door; with a wave of his wand the door was unlocked.

Back in the shadows, Snape and Peter Pettigrew watched as Voldermort disappeared into the house, followed closely by Nagini. The wind that had been blowing trash and leaves about was now completely still, seemingly knowing of the dramatic events that were about to accrue. The stillness of the night was unnerving to the two men awaiting the return of their Master. A flash of green light escaped the window, that James had so nervously peered out of a mere hour earlier, indicating that the killing curse had been used. Seconds later, a blood chilling scream pierced the nights air.

Lily had just finished baby Harry's bath when she heard a commotion on the level below. Grabbing her wand off of the dresser, next to the door, Lily left her son in the safety of his room and quietly made her way down the dimly lit hallway. Reaching the top of the stairs, a horrid scream escaped her lungs, as she witnessed Lord Voldermort use the killing curse on her defenseless husband. Momentarily blinded by the flash of green light, Lily fell to her knees. Looking up the stairs, Voldermort laid his eyes upon her. Stepping over the dead body of James Potter, Voldermort began to climb the steps, advancing on the shocked Lily. Jolting herself back to reality, Lily jumped to her feet and ran for her son. Slamming the door behind her, she desperately locked the door, knowing that it wouldn't keep Voldermort at bay.

Reaching out for her son, she took him into her arms, hugging him tightly. From behind her, the door was knocked off its hinges by a powerful spell. Turning, Lily saw Voldermort standing in the doorway with his wand outstretched. Bowing, Voldermort spoke, "Lily Potter, what an honor it is to meet you." Lily raised her wand a little higher, shaking slightly. "Come now, Lily, won't you address your guest?"

"Guest," Lily finally spoke. "You are no guest of mine," she spat at him.

"Very sad to here that," Voldermort teased, as he began to walk around the nursery. Picking up a moving black and white photograph of the happy Potter family, Voldermort frowned. "Such a happy family, too bad you will soon be left all alone."

"Expelliarmus," Lily shouted in desperation. Waving his wand carelessly, Voldermort deflected the spell.

"Now, now, lets not have any of that," Voldermort said, while waving his wand back and forth ever so slightly, like a parent correcting their child. "I mean you no harm."

"Mean me no harm," she questioned, her head swarming with questions.

"Yes, Lily. I am only here for Harry." Pointing his wand directly at Harry in his mothers arms, he continued, "All you must do is hand the boy over to me and I will spare your life."

Turning so that her body was between her son's body and Voldermort's wand, Lily was in shock. Voldermort had never been known to spare someone's life. Did he actually believe that she was just going to hand her son over to him, to be murdered?

"Please, please. Kill me instead. Why do you want my precious Harry?"

"Because, my dear, he is the one prophesized to be my demise. And that, is something that I can not allow."

"I will not give him to you," Lily shouted, sounding stronger than she felt.

"Give the boy to me, NOW," Voldermort demanded, becoming impatient.

With tears in her eyes, she pleaded for her son's life, "He's only a baby." Setting her son in his crib, she turned and faced Voldermort, ready to fight.

"You will have to kill me before I will hand over my son to you, Riddle."

At the sound of his, muggle born, father's surname, Voldermort's eyes seemed to be engulfed with flames.

"How dare you speak of that name to me, you filthy mudblood," Voldermort boomed, with an unbelievable amount of rage. Regaining his composer, he continued, bluntly, "I gave you the chance to live, but you have chosen to stay behind for your son. How touching," he added, sarcastically. "Never the less, you will fail; I will kill you and then I will kill your son."

Raising her wand, Lily once again shouted an incarnation, that was easily deflected by her aposer, before Voldermort shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Lily Potter crumpled to the floor, dead. Smirking, Voldermort turned his eyes from the lifeless body of Lily to her innocent baby son, who was sitting in his crib unaware of the drastic change that had just accrued in his life.

"Now, Harry Potter, you will make me the most powerful wizard in the world." Raising his wand, one final time, Voldermort once again shouted the killing curse, however, this time something went horribly wrong. The curse back fired off of Harry and hit the unsuspecting Voldermort. A deafening noise erupted, sending a flash of green light throughout the Potter's house.

Across the way, Snape and Peter exchanged anxious looks. Quickly, without thought, Snape left the comfort of the shadows and jogged across the street, leaving Peter behind confused and worried. Stepping inside the back door of the Potter's home, Nagini brushed against Snape's leg. Snape watched as the snake slithered off into the darkness, not to be seen again for over a century. Stepping over James Potter's dead body, Snape hurriedly climbed the steps to the second floor. Entering baby Harry's nursery, there he found Lily. Green eyes still open and with her wand still tightly in her hand, Lily lay dead at the foot of Harry's crib. Kneeling down beside her, Snape gently brushed the hair out of her beautiful face. What had happened that the Dark Lord had killed her? Snape's mind was racing with unanswered questions. Lifting his head he could see straight through the railings of Harry's crib. The newly orphaned Harry was looking back at Snape with his mother's green eyes, making Snape's pain deepened. A lightening bolt scar on Harry's forehead, drew Snape's attention, but a hatred that was rising in him for the boy over took his curiosity. Looking back down at the lifeless body of Lily, Snape closed his eyes and whispered, "Sweet, Lily. I am sorry." Opening his eyes, Snape stood to his feet, giving Harry one last hate filled looked. Without looking at the dead body of Lily again, Snape turned and made his way out of the house. Dumbledore would surly know of the Potter's demise and would soon be sending one of his Phoenix members to the Potter's home; Snape did not want to be anywhere near when they arrived. Snape found Peter standing just outside the gate to the Potter's back yard, nervously looking towards the house.

"The Dark Lord has been destroyed," Snape spat. "Dumbledore will know that you were the one that turned on the Potter's." Glancing over Peter's shoulder, Snape saw a dim light in the distance, becoming bigger and brighter by the seconds. Peter seemed to be frozen in place, not believing the words Snape had just spoken.

"Go," Snape shouted, as he briskly walked past Peter towards the same spot that he had stood with the Dark Lord not half an hour earlier. The question of how a one year old boy had defeated the most powerful wizard in the world, swarmed through Snape's mind. Reaching the privacy of the shadows, there was a faint pop and he was gone. Peter still in shock, stood watching Snape walk away. When the bright light was as large as the moon and coming fast, Peter took his wand and touched it to his forehead, seconds later he had turned into a plump rat, just as an oversized motorbike landed in the Potter's back yard. The plump rat disappeared down the street, shivering with fright.

A man with mangy black hair jumped off the bike and ran through the Potter's open back door. Sirius Black had received an owl from Dumbledore telling him to go to the Potter's house immediately. The urgency in Dumbledore's note had sparked a fear in Sirius's heart. Entering the kitchen, Sirius's fears were confirmed. At the bottom of the stairs was the lifeless body of his best friend, James Potter. Falling to his knees, Sirius knelt over James's dead body, with tears streaming down his face. Fearing for Lily and Harry's lives, Sirius left the body of his dear friend and began to search the house, shouting, "Lily? Harry?"

Entering the last room of the house, Sirius found yet another heartbreak, the dead body of Lily Potter. His godson, Harry, was sitting in his crib, unharmed except the for a lightening bolt cut on his forehead. The cut would soon turn into a scar, forever reminding him and everyone else of the events that had accrued that night. At the sight of his godfather, Harry reached his two tiny arms into the air. Taking the boy into his arms, Sirius held him tight, wondering how the defenseless one year old was able to survive an attack by the most powerful dark wizard, when his parents had both been ruthlessly murdered.

The son of James and Lily Potter, the boy who lived.


End file.
